NA-250 Karachi: MQM's sit-in against re-polling in 43 polling stations continues

A large numbers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers continued their sit-in here on Wednesday against the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision to hold re-polling on 43 polling stations of NA-250 constituency. MQM had announced to stage sit-in outside the office of provincial Election Commission, Sindh on Tuesday night after ECP decided to hold re-elections on 43 polling stations of NA-250 on May 19.
The protesting workers carried placards and posters of party chief Altaf Hussain and chanted slogans "Jena ho Ga. Marna ho Ga - Dhara ho Ga, Dharna ho Ga". Members of MQM Co-ordination Committee including Raza Haroon, Waseem Akhtar, Wasay Jalil and others were also present. MQM candidate for NA-250, Khushbakht Shujaat led the sit-in, which is also being attended by scores of women.
Tents were also installed outside the election commission office to save the workers from scorching weather conditions. Terming the ECP's decision of holding re-polling on only 43 out of total 180 polling stations of NA-250 as `undemocratic' and `unconstitutional', the MQM leaders urged the ECP to review its decision and hold re-polling on all the 180 polling stations of NA-250 and PS-112 and PS-113.
They said that people of Karachi were exercising their constitutional, legal and democratic right by staging sit-in outside ECP office. MQM leaders said that the MQM being a peaceful and a democratic party, and the citizens of Karachi would never allow the conspirators to succeed in nefarious designs of snatching away its mandate. Talking to Business Recorder, MQM candidate for NA-250 Khushbakht Shujaat said that she had submitted an application in ECP for re-polling in the entire NA-250 constituency of Karachi.
She said that as a matter of fact polling in NA-250 had not begun due to non-availability of election materials and absence of election staff at polling stations and a large number of MQM voters were not allowed to cast their votes which has exposed the incompetence of ECP.
In the application, MQM has contended that re-election should be held in entire NA-250 instead of just 43 polling station of the constituency. She said that MQM protest would continue till decision for re-polling in entire constituency. On this occasion, while talking to media persons, Director ECP Sindh Naveed Ahmed said that election commission had received the application from MQM to conduct re-polling in entire constituency. He said that recommendations have been sent to ECP in Islamabad, hoping better solution of the issue.
Meanwhile addressing protest demonstration on late Tuesday night MQM chief Altaf Hussain criticised the ECP's decision to hold election on 43 polling stations of NA-250. He demanded fresh polls in the entire constituency. "We have the right to defend ourselves, we will protest when anybody tries to deprive us of our mandate," he said Hussain said that upright people should be inducted in the Election Commission. He said conducting re-polling in certain areas was discriminatory and the MQM rejects it.